Wild Hearts
by Erin Salvatore
Summary: AU/AH. Caroline Forbes is a new student at the Picayune Academy, a prestigious boarding school in Louisiana. She detests it, as well as her stepfather, who sent her here. However, things change when she meets Niklaus Mikaelson, who has a rather dark past that he doesn't talk about with anyone.
1. Chapter 1

**Wild Hearts**

**by Erin Salvatore**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story belongs to me.**

_**Note: I got the idea for this the other day as I was bathing. It's an AU/AH and the plot is this: Caroline Forbes is a new student at the Picayune Academy, a prestigious boarding school in Louisiana. She detests it, as well as her mother and stepfather for sending her here. However, things change when she catches a glimpse of Niklaus Mikaelson, who is rumored to have a bad reputation.**_

_**I know, I know, I shouldn't start another story when I've got others that I'm working on, but this idea snuck up on me and I did my best to put off writing it. Anyway, here it is.**_

**Chapter 1**

_Picayune Academy, Outside of New Orleans..._

**T**he prestigious Picayune Academy was said to be the best boarding school in all of Louisiana, mostly because it had easy access to New Orleans and the students were allowed to explore the French Quarter on the weekends and holidays. However, all that didn't mean shit to Caroline as she looked at the exterior of the building. Her mother, Liz, had recently gotten married, to a wealthy widower named Guiseppe Salvatore, who was raising his two sons, Damon and Stefan, and his daughter, Natalia, on his own since his wife, Elisabetta, died of leukemia some fifteen years earlier, when his children were two and three years old respectively. Guiseppe had started out decent enough, but then again, didn't they _all _start out that way? It was only after the wedding and everything had happened that he began to show his true colors, and the first thing he did was demand that Caroline, Damon, Stefan, and Natalia be sent to boarding school. The four children all protested, but the asshole didn't listen and stood his ground.

_Well, Mom, you certainly know how to pick 'em, don't you?_, she thought. _I thought you wouldn't remarry after Daddy died, but no, you went and remarried. Of course, I'm probably not alone in thinking this, because I'm pretty sure Damon shares my opinion._

"So, this is the prison Dad shipped us to, huh?"

Sure enough, her thoughts were interrupted by Damon himself. Yeah, a prison was putting it lightly. "Unfortunately, yes. Believe me, Damon, I don't like it any more than you do."

"I don't just not like it, Blondie," he replied. "I out and out hate it! He has to go and pull us out of the school we were currently attending in Mystic Falls and ships us all the way to a school outside of New Orleans."

"Guys, come on, try to make the most of it," said Natalia, who had been listening to them. "We won't be here long, anyway. Well, the three of us won't. Stefan has another year before he graduates, and by then, we'll have gone on to college."

Caroline nodded. Natalia did have a valid point. It was only temporary for them, because they'd be graduating at the end of the year. Of course, she did worry about how Stefan would handle being on his own next year, since he wouldn't have her, Damon, and Natalia around to guide him, even though he knew that he'd be able to contact them through phone and email.

"You're right, Talia," said Caroline. "We should try to make the best of this. We'll be out of here by June, so until then, we should try to forget that our esteemed father put us in here."

Damon reluctantly nodded, even though he still didn't like their situation. That being established, Caroline and her stepsiblings walked into the building. As they passed through the halls on the way to the headmaster's office, Caroline caught sight of a rather dashing young man that was leaning up against the wall. He had short, slightly curly dark blonde hair and the most gorgeous greenish blue eyes to ever grace the face of one so elegant. His lips were ideal for kissing and nibbling and his body looked just as divine. Holy shit, she felt like she died and went to heaven. Natalia caught her stepsister staring at said young man and smirked knowingly.

"I know, he's gorgeous, isn't he? I don't really blame you for staring."

Caroline turned her eyes toward Natalia. "I wasn't staring. I was just...looking."

"Looking, my ass," said Natalia. "Girl, your eyes were practically _glued_ to that guy. Next thing you know, you'll be asking around about him."

Caroline shook her head. "Oh, come on, Talia, I barely know him."

"Hence the reason you'll be asking around."

Natalia's response made the blonde giggle as she tried to hide her blush. While she was trying to deny it, she knew she was right. Pretty soon, she'd be asking about the guy she had been staring just a short while ago. There was something about him that seemed to appeal to her curiosity, and it wouldn't be long until she knew just what that something was.

Upon arriving at their destination, the four teenagers walked into the office, finding that it looked like every other high school office, only slightly more first class. Truth be told, it almost looked like the kind of offices you'd see at a bank or a government building rather than a Louisiana boarding school.

No sooner did they enter than the headmaster, Dr. Jonas Martin himself, came out to greet them. "Ah, the new acquisitions. I was told to expect you."

Neither of the four present could answer, mostly because they didn't know exactly _how_ to answer, or if they _should_ answer. Seeing as how he didn't a respond, Dr. Martin said, "Well, let's get you situated, shall we?"

He led them past the secretary and into his side of the office, where he opened up a file cabinet and took out the paperwork that Guiseppe had obviously prepared in advance. Of course, knowing that old bastard, it came as no surprise to either of them. Finally, unable to stand the silence, Stefan spoke up.

"Where are our rooms situated, sir?"

Damon gave his brother a stern look. "Stefan!"

"What? It was a fair question," he replied. "I just wanted to know."

"It's indeed a fair question," said Dr. Martin before Damon could say anything else. "Stefan, you and your brother will be in the Carter Building, which houses the boys' dorms. Caroline and Natalia will be in the Wilson Building, which houses the girls' dorms. I know that it comes as a shock that the four of you are separated like this, but that's how things work here at the Picayune Academy. Boys and girls are in separate dorms. I trust you were told this prior to enrollment here?"

"No, sir, we weren't," said Stefan. "Dad had us enrolled without our knowledge."

Caroline and Natalia nodded in silent agreement with what Stefan said. It was true that Guiseppe had enrolled them in this school without consulting them. Dr. Martin, though perplexed by this, decided not to question it, since he was sure there was a reason for it.

"In either case, you have been given your assigned dorms. You are dismissed."

With a brief nod, they left the office, hoping that the dorms were somewhat more pleasant than the office had been.

_Wilson Building – Later..._

Caroline and Natalia walked through the halls of the building that housed the girls' dorms. It was somewhat better than the main building had been, and it was more lavishly decorated. They took the elevator up to the third floor and walked down the hall to 3M, using the key Dr. Martin had given them to open the door, getting a glimpse of what their room looked like. No sooner did they enter than they were greeted by a rather tough looking blonde girl.

"What the bloody hell are you two doing here?"

Caroline stood her ground. "We're your new roommates, apparently, and we'd appreciate it if you spoke to us in a civilized tone."

The blonde simply scoffed. "I can do whatever I want, thank you. And I did hear about new students coming here. I just wasn't expecting that it would be the pair of you."

Natalia saw that Caroline looked ready to pound the blonde's face in and intervened. "I'm Natalia Salvatore and this is my stepsister, Caroline. Who might you be?"

"Rebekah Mikaelson."

Natalia nodded. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Rebekah. How long have you been attending school here?"

"About four years now," said Rebekah. "Two of my brothers, Finn and Elijah, graduated a year before I arrived, along with my other brothers, Niklaus and Kol. Henrik will be attending in the fall. He's currently in eighth grade."

Caroline nodded. Niklaus must have been that guy she encountered in the main building earlier. Before she could say a word, Rebekah continued, "Of course, Niklaus and I didn't consider it an honor to be attending a place like this."

Natalia and Caroline exchanged looks and Caroline said, "Why not?"

"We're not related to the Mikaelson family," said Rebekah. "Niklaus and I were adopted years ago, just after the death of their second born son, Thomas. We felt like outcasts then, and at times, we still do now. Mikael and Esther dote on their biological children. Niklaus and I craved that sort of attention, but we fended for ourselves. We didn't even know why they chose us when they could've had their pick of any other child in that blasted orphanage."

Caroline nodded. Although she didn't know Rebekah that well, she did sort of empathize with her, knowing what it was like to crave something you would never get. "I know that this isn't any of our business, and we're sorry if we..."

Rebekah smiled slightly. "I'm sure you would've found out sooner or later." Clearing her throat, she added, "Oh, and our other roommate should be coming back from her last class in another hour or two, so..."

"Other roommate?" said Natalia. "Who?"

"Elena Gilbert," said Rebekah. "Her twin sister, Katherine, graduated early and is now attending Tulane University with Elijah. Rumor has it that the reason she did was because she's pregnant with his child."

"Is that true?"

"Who the hell knows?" said Rebekah. "Though, they _did_ sleep together on more than one occasion."

Natalia and Caroline said nothing more to that, just nodded. Of course, Caroline was still curious about Niklaus. Would he be as willing to talk about the fact he was adopted as Rebekah was? Or would he avoid the question and tell her to back off?

_I guess I'll find out eventually,_ she thought. _For now, I'll just bide my time._

_**Note: There you have it, the opening chapter to my new AU/AH. The main couple, of course, is Klaroline, with Delena, Stefekah, and Koltalia (yeah, the OC, Natalia, is going to be with Kol). I'll also add Kalijah (later on).**_

_**Enjoy and review!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Wild Hearts," Caroline and her stepsiblings are admitted to the Picayune Academy and Caroline and Natalia meet their roommate, Rebekah Mikaelson.**_

_**Hello, lovelies, just got an idea for the next chapter and wanted to include it. No spoilers, just read on! And thank you for the reviews so far! :)**_

_The Next Afternoon..._

**A** groan escaped her lips as Caroline walked into a room that contained a rather large blackboard. She had been given detention for being late to homeroom. How the hell did one get detention on the first day of school? It was as if the gods were pissed at her for some reason and they decided that she needed to be tortured for doing absolutely nothing wrong. Of course, Caroline wasn't the only one who got detention. Natalia got busted for passing notes in class and Damon was busted for getting into a fight with one of the boys in gym following an incident that involved an insult that was aimed toward their late mother that he felt the need to avenge. In either event, at least she didn't have to suffer here alone. Though, she did wonder how _Stefan's_ first day went. The thing that sucked was that while in detention, there was no texting, so she couldn't shoot him a text message.

_I guess I'll have to wait until after we're released from this place before I can do anything,_ she thought as she sat down in a desk nearest the front of the room. _But, I can't believe I got detention my first full day of classes. Shit, my life really sucks. First, my mom goes and marries this rich asshole who decides to have me shipped off to boarding school, and now, I get busted for being late to homeroom. It wasn't my fault that I got a locker on the far end of the hallway and a lock that wouldn't close for shit._

No sooner did she complete that thought than the door to the detention room opened and in walked two guys, one of whom was Niklaus, the one Rebekah had mentioned yesterday, and the other was a guy that looked like he could rival Damon in the mischief department. She didn't say a word as she watched him take the seat in the row next to hers, after which he took out a sketch pad and started making what appeared to be a drawing.

It made her wonder what he had gotten detention for, since he didn't appear to be the kind of guy that got into trouble. Unless, of course, some idiot tried to take his sketch pad away and he got pissed to the point where he knocked the fool on his ass. Before she could say anything, the door opened again and in walked a guy that looked like he was too young to be a teacher. He approached the desk in the middle of the room and looked at the students assembled, who looked up from what they were doing to give him their full attention.

"All right, guys, listen up, Mr. Maxfield, or you'd like, you can call me Wes. Now, you're here because you did something to deserve it, and I don't care. The thing I do care about is that you don't give me a hard time and we won't have a problem."

After he said that, the guy that walked in with Niklaus said, "Yeah, and what are you going to do if we don't cooperate, mate, give us detention? We're _already_ in detention, so I doubt that you can give us even more detention than we already have!"

Niklaus scowled over at him. "Shut your mouth, Kol, or I'll shove my pencil down your throat! It was bad enough that you got busted for making photo copies of your ass with the printer in Dr. Martin's office, but I won't be held responsible for what I do to you here!"

Wes shot a look at the two brothers. "Settle down, you two, before I have to come over there and physically pry you off of each other. This is detention, not the schoolyard."

Kol and Niklaus gave each other nasty looks before turning away from each other and focusing on other things. Of course, Kol caught sight of Natalia seated a few seats up from him, shooting a wink over at her as she looked up from the book she was reading. What the hell was he playing at? This was neither the time nor the place to be flirting, so what did he think was going to happen here?

She looked down at the pages and when she looked up again, she saw that he moved up two desks once Wes had turned his attention to what he had brought with him. Scowling at him, she said, "What do _you_ want?"

"What makes you think I want something, lass?"

"For one thing, you're looking at me the way a dog looks at a bone," said Natalia. "You're also making it hard to concentrate. Now, go back to where you were sitting before I tell Mr. Maxfield on you. They're called assigned seats for a _reason_, you know. I have no patience for guys who think they're cute just because they have the ability to make a girl turn to mush the second they look their way."

Kol smirked. "I like pretty things with sharp tongues."

Before Natalia could say anything more, Damon looked up from what he was reading and threw a piece of crumbled up paper at Kol's head. "Watch your mouth, asshole, that's my _sister_ you're talking to."

Caroline watched from where she was sitting and rolled her eyes. While she admired the fact that Damon was standing up for Natalia, she wished that Kol wasn't such a presumptuous little worm. She then focused her attention on Niklaus, who had gone back to drawing in his sketch pad shortly after Wes had broken up the verbal spat between him and Kol. As she watched him, he looked up at her, greenish blue eyes meeting blue.

"Is there something you wanted, love?"

Startled by his question, Caroline shifted a bit in her seat. "No, I was...looking at your drawings, that's all. You seem to have a talent for it."

"I've been drawing since I was a lad," he replied. "I don't know if anyone told you, but I was adopted by the Mikaelson family after the death of one of their children. It was hard to cope with it, so I turned to my art for comfort."

Caroline nodded. "Your sister told me yesterday. She said that you felt like outcasts."

"Outcasts is putting it lightly," said Niklaus. "They didn't know the hardships that Rebekah and I faced before they brought us into their home. You see, our biological parents were killed in front of us. We would've suffered the same fate had the police not shown up at the last moment."

Upon hearing that, Caroline felt her heart skip several beats. "Rebekah never mentioned that."

"Probably because she was too young to remember," said Niklaus. "Either that or she blocked it out of her mind. But, not me, love, I remember every bloody detail, being older." He saw the look on her face. "Am I scaring you?"

"No, I just...never heard that side of the story."

_Bullshit, you're scared, it's written all over your face, _her mind scolded her. _Though, you should really ask Rebekah to tell the story in more detail instead of hearing it from her brother._

Niklaus saw that she was obviously frightened by what he had said and instantly regretted it. Shit, that wasn't the best way to make conversation with someone he barely knew. True, he had gotten a glimpse of her as she made her way to the office yesterday, but that was pretty much it.

"Perhaps we should start over," he said. "I'm Niklaus. Niklaus Mikaelson."

Caroline smiled at him. "Caroline. Caroline...Salvatore." _I've got to use my new last name sometime, this is the perfect opportunity to use it. If my mom could get used to it, there's no reason why _I_ shouldn't._

Niklaus returned her smile. She was very beautiful, with long, golden blonde hair that seemed to frame her face perfectly and blue eyes rivaled the summer sky. She even had the body of a model, and it took all the strength he had not to touch her. The scent of sandalwood, honey, and lavender reached his nose and it made his cock strain against his pants. Shit, what the hell was wrong with him? He was thinking such things about a girl he just met.

Clearing his throat, he said, "It's lovely to meet you, Caroline. I hope that I didn't scare you too much with my side of the story."

"Don't worry about it, Niklaus," said Caroline. "You didn't know."

Niklaus smiled again. "Call me Nik. Rebekah calls me that all the time and I wouldn't mind you calling me that."

"Okay, Nik it is then," said Caroline. "You know, I think I'm going to like it here."

"New Orleans is a fascinating city," said Niklaus. "It's full of culture, food, art, and music. I'm thinking of attending college here and pursuing my career as an artist." He then got an idea. "Are you free this weekend?"

Caroline raised a curious eyebrow. "Are you...asking me out on a date, Nik?"

"Would you _like _it to be?"

Caroline struggled with the answer, but before she could say anything, the bell rang to signal the end of the day. She saw Natalia leaving and went to get up, but before she could, she felt Niklaus grab her hand, pulling her closer to him and kissing her softly before bringing his lips to her ear and whispering as he then placed a folded up piece of paper into her blazer pocket, "Call me later with your answer."

His whispered request stunned her as much as the kiss had and, with a nod of her head, she pulled out of his grip and headed out of the door. Damon scowled at Niklaus before following Caroline out of the room. Then, a confident smile on his face, Niklaus walked out of the room, not giving a shit if Kol was following along behind him.

_**Note: There you are, lovelies, the second chapter of my AU/AH. Kol and Natalia have met, and so have Klaus and Caroline. I do intend on having Stefan and Rebekah meet, as well having Damon and Elena meet. Until then, enjoy what I have. I know I didn't explain why Klaus was in detention, but I will reveal that when he and Caroline have their "date" in New Orleans. For now, I thought I'd explain how he and Rebekah lost their biological parents.**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story is mine.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Wild Hearts," Caroline, Natalia, and Damon get detention, where they meet Niklaus and Kol. Niklaus even asks Caroline to go with him into New Orleans, after which he kisses her and gives her his cell number.**_

_**Hey, guys, just thought I'd update, having gotten an idea for it. No spoilers, just enjoy.**_

_Library – That Same Moment..._

**S**tefan sat at the table and read through his American History notes, as well as the first two chapters in the textbook. He had tried reading in the dorm, but he found it difficult to really concentrate, even though there was privacy. The other reason was because he was anxious, mostly because Damon had gotten detention for fighting. While he had a good reason, it still wasn't called for.

He was so focused on his reading that he didn't realize that he wasn't the only one there until he looked up from the page he was on to see a blonde girl seated across the table from him. _Why is she sitting here when there are other tables scattered throughout the room?_, he thought. _Though, it is good to have company._

Forcing a smile, he said, "Hi."

The blonde looked at him, returning his smile. "Hello." She cleared her throat. "I didn't know anyone else was here when I walked in."

"It's okay, really," said Stefan. "I don't mind the company. I'm Stefan, by the way, Stefan Salvatore."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Stefan. I've heard a lot about you from your sisters. I'm Rebekah Mikaelson. I'm their roommate at the Carter building."

"Really? You're Talia and Caroline's roommate?"

"Guilty as charged," said Rebekah. "They're in detention, so I thought I'd come to the library and study while I was waiting for them to return." She stole a glimpse at what Stefan was reading. "What are you reading, by the way?"

"The first two chapters in my History book," said Stefan. "I'm also reading the notes."

"You're in American History, aren't you?"

"Yeah, with Professor Saltzman," said Stefan. "Why?"

"Oh God, I can't believe I didn't recognize you," said Rebekah. "You're in my class and yet, I didn't recognize you when I walked in just now." She let out a slight laugh as she ran a hand through her hair. "You probably think I'm stupid."

"On the contrary, I don't think that at all," said Stefan. "Rebekah, it's okay, really. So what if you didn't remember me right away? It happens to the best of us sometimes. I'm not mad at all, and I don't ever want you to call yourself stupid again, okay?"

Rebekah nodded. She was relieved that he didn't think less of her just because she didn't recognize him from class until she saw the notes he had been looking at before she walked into the library. There was a silence between them for about five minutes or so until she decided to speak again.

"So, how do you like it here so far?"

"It's different, I guess," he replied. "My dad shipped us here after he married my stepmom. Don't ask why, because I'm not even sure that _I_ know. I've been trying to figure it out since yesterday and I haven't been able to come up with anything to justify his reason for sending us here."

Rebekah nodded. "I take it you don't approve of his decision?"

"No, not at all," said Stefan. "Damon, Natalia, Caroline, and I were doing just fine in our old school. That old bastard had no right taking us away from there and sending us to a place like this. Don't get me wrong, New Orleans is a nice place, but..." He cut himself off when he felt himself getting short of breath. Reaching into his backpack, Stefan took out his inhaler, placed it in his mouth, adjusting the dosage before using it. After he was finished, he put it away and looked at Rebekah. "Sorry about that. I have asthma, and it acts up whenever I get excited or upset."

"No, don't apologize," said Rebekah. "I know exactly what that's like. Henrik has the same thing, so he has to have his inhaler with him." Curiously, she added, "How long have you had it?"

"Since I was about ten years old," said Stefan. "See, I was born three months premature and had to be in an incubator for the first three months until my weight went up. Plus, my lungs weren't fully developed yet, and the doctors told my mom that later on, my premature birth would lead to problems later on, asthma being one of them."

Rebekah nodded, placing her hand on his. "You don't have to face this alone, Stefan. I'm here for you if you need me. I realize that we don't know each other that well, but I'd like to get to know you."

Stefan smiled at her. "Thank you, Rebekah, I appreciate it. It's nice to know that there's someone here at this school other than Damon, Natalia, and Caroline that I can depend on."

_Outside of Wilson Building – Later..._

Damon was fuming as he arrived at the Wilson building after he had made sure that Caroline and Natalia had gotten back to the Carter building safely. The thing he was so furious about was the scene between Natalia and Kol. Who the hell was that idiot think he was trying to impress? Did he think that just because he was a Mikaelson, he could just make a pass at his sister and not expect there to be any consequences?

However, he was suddenly brought out of his reverie by the sound of screams coming from the quad. Curious as to what was going on, Damon followed the sound until he saw what had caused the screaming: a girl, a rather beautiful brunette, was being harassed by what looked like two jocks. In fact, it was worse than harassment. Judging from the fact that her blouse was ripped open and that there was blood coming from her nose, it looked as though they were attempting to rape her.

_I can't let them get away with this,_ he thought. _That girl did nothing to deserve what's being done to her._

"Leave her alone!"

One of the jocks looked over his shoulder and saw that they had company. "Why don't you beat it, chump? This is none of your business!"

Damon stood his ground. "Well, I just _made_ it my business. Now, I'm not going to repeat myself. Leave her alone. She never did anything to deserve this."

When they didn't do as he said, Damon growled and attacked the jocks, punching them in the face, stomach, and even where the sun didn't shine. Just before the end of the struggle, the jocks decided that they had enough and ran away. Once they were gone, Damon turned toward the girl, who had seen the whole thing and gasped in fear at the sight of him, thinking he was going to hurt her.

"It's okay," he said. "I'm not going to hurt you."

The girl trembled a bit. "Do...Do you promise?"

"I promise," said Damon. "You're safe."

The girl then reluctantly approached him, wrapping her arms around herself. Damon then removed his blazer and wrapped it around her, looking at her carefully. There was a silence until the girl said, "Thank you. I really don't know what I would've done without your help."

"I couldn't let them hurt you," said Damon. "Angry as I was for getting detention, I couldn't let those jocks have their way with you." He sighed. "I'm Damon Salvatore, by the way. What's your name?"

"Elena. Elena Gilbert."

Damon smiled when he heard her say her name. _Elena. A beautiful name for an even more beautiful girl._ "It's nice to meet you, Elena."

There was another silence between them as Elena looked at Damon, admiring how the sun caught in his black hair and how his blue eyes sparkled. He was rather handsome, the kind of guy any girl worth her salt would be proud to have around.

Finally, Damon was the one who spoke. "Are you going to be okay? I could take you to the nurse to have your face looked at and maybe get Dr. Martin to punish those assholes for what they tried to do to you."

Elena felt her heart pound. "They threatened to kill me if I told on them."

"I'm not going to let that happen," said Damon. "You're safe with me, Elena." He gently took her hand. "It's going to be okay, I promise. I'll be with you the whole time."

Elena wanted to say something further, but decided against it. Besides, Damon was doing this because he was concerned. Reluctantly, she nodded and allowed him to walk her to the infirmary to get her injuries looked at.

_**Note: Yeah, don't ask how I got the idea for this, I just went with it. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Wild Hearts," Stefan and Rebekah meet in the library, and Damon saves Elena from the jocks.**_

_**Hello, everyone! I got this great idea for this chapter and I wanted to post it. No spoilers, just keep reading!**_

_Wilson Building – Saturday Morning..._

**N**iklaus stepped out of the shower stall, humming the tune of "Ode to Joy" to himself as he grabbed a towel and dried his hair and body, wrapping said towel around his waist. He was in a good mood today, and with good reason. Today marked the first weekend the students were going to venture into the Quarter and he was looking forward to seeing Caroline. He had been thinking about the kiss in detention. In fact, he had been thinking about it so much that he was inspired to do a new sketch, which was promptly added to his sketch book the moment he returned to his room.

He continued to hum as he walked into his room to get dressed, not giving a shit if anyone was listening. This is, until Kol, who had been combing his hair and admiring his reflection the mirror, perked up his ears (figuratively speaking, of course) and looked over his shoulder, sending a smirk in his brother's direction.

"Well, _you're_ rather chipper today, brother."

Niklaus stopped humming. "Why do you say that?"

"For one thing, you were humming 'Ode to Joy' to yourself, or so you thought," said Kol. "That must mean that you're in a good mood." He smirked again. "Am I wrong in guessing that it has to do with a certain girl you met in detention? Blonde hair, blue eyes, and the subject of your latest piece? What was her name again? Oh yeah, Caroline Salvatore?"

"So?" said Niklaus. "If I recall correctly, you fancy her stepsister."

"You bet your ass I do," said Kol. "I plan on making my move when we go into the Quarter today. I don't give a shit if her brother, Damon, objects to it. He has to learn that there will be young men such as myself who will find Natalia attractive."

No sooner did Kol say this than Damon walked in, dressed in a black T-shirt, dark blue jeans, and black boots. He caught the end of their conversation. "Are you talking about my sister, Kol?"

Kol shot him a look. "So what if I am? It's not my fault she's got the beauty of a goddess."

"Just because it's our first weekend excursion into the Quarter, that doesn't mean I won't have my eye on you," said Damon. "Natalia is my sister, and I _will_ defend her against the likes of someone like you."

"True as that may be, mate, you can't protect her forever," said Kol. "Sooner or later, you're going to have to surrender and let her do what she wants."

Not giving Damon a chance to reply, Kol walked away, eager to get to the Quarter so that he could try again to get Natalia to see that he wasn't as bad as she thought she was. Once he was gone, Damon looked over at Niklaus, who was by now fully dressed. He had taken advantage of Kol and Damon's verbal dispute to get into some fresh clothes.

"I'm guessing you have your own plans for Caroline?"

Niklaus gave the blue-eyed Salvatore a curious look. "Plans? Whatever do you mean?"

"Don't play with me, because I'm in no mood for it," said Damon. "I saw the way you kissed her in detention the other day. I just want you to know that although she may be related by marriage, Caroline is still my family and I don't want anything to happen to her."

Niklaus rolled his eyes at this. Seriously, what the hell was this guy's problem? He could understand that he only wanted what was best for his sisters, since he only wanted what was best for Rebekah, but there was a difference between being protective and being domineering. "Damon, I think it would be in your best interest to let your sisters do what they want. I understand that they're your family, but a little freedom isn't going to hurt them."

Damon was completely floored by what Niklaus told him. No one had ever talked to him like that before. However, he wasn't about to get into an argument with the guy, especially not when he was looking forward to heading into New Orleans to spend the day with Elena. She had been on his mind since he saved her from those asshole jocks after he had gotten out of detention.

Without a word, Damon walked away from Niklaus and out of the dorm room, passing Stefan on the way out.

_New Orleans – Later that Day..._

Niklaus watched as Caroline ate the beignets that he had purchased for them at the Cafe Du Monde, which was famous for said sugary pastries, smiling at her as she seemed to enjoy them. Niklaus had sampled them many times during his excursions into the Quarter during the time he, Rebekah, and Kol had been students at the Picayune Academy and it delighted him to know that someone else was enjoying them as much as he did.

"Didn't I tell you that you'd like beignets, love?"

Caroline nodded, licking her lips. "Yeah, you definitely did. I have to be honest, Nik, I've never eaten them before." She then took a sip of coffee and there was a brief silence before she said, "Nik, what did you get detention for the other day? I got it for being late to homeroom, Talia got it for passing notes, and Damon got it for fighting. What did you get detention for? Did you make a photocopy of your ass, like Kol did?"

Niklaus' smile faded at her question. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Come on, don't do that," said Caroline. "There has to be a good reason why you were in detention."

"Caroline..."

"No, Nik, don't you 'Caroline' me," said Caroline. "I want to know what you did!"

Niklaus sighed. Shit, she wasn't going to give up until she knew the reason he was in detention, was she? If he didn't know any better, he'd say that being roommates with Rebekah was starting to rub off on her, and not in a very good way, either. But, since he knew he couldn't avoid it any longer, Niklaus decided to tell her why he was in detention.

"Fine, I'll tell you. There's this guy in our dorm named Marcel Gerard. From the moment I started at the Picayune Academy, he went out of his way to make my life a living hell."

Caroline blinked. "You mean he bullied you?"

"Not bullied, exactly, but he would constantly egg me on to get me to do things," said Niklaus. "Well, on the day in question, Marcel dared me to steal the trophy out of the case in front of the office. He said that if I did that, I would never have to worry about being respected."

"You didn't."

"I did," said Niklaus. "I got the lock open and stole the trophy. However, Dr. Martin caught me before I could make my escape. I expected Marcel to defend me, but he and his friends had already run off, leaving me to face my punishment alone."

Caroline didn't know what to think of what she heard. She couldn't believe that Niklaus had allowed this Marcel Gerard character to dare him to steal something that was valuable to the school. Of course, the dare was only made worse by leaving him to take the fall.

Niklaus saw how silent Caroline had become. "There, you now know the reason I was in detention the other day. I was lucky that I wasn't suspended or expelled. Then again, my adoptive father is paying for my education, so I doubt he'd allow them to expel me." He sighed. "Does that make you think less of me, love?"

"It _is_ shocking, I won't deny that," said Caroline. "But, it's also kind of...hot."

Niklaus raised an eyebrow. "You...actually _like_ that I did what I did?"

Caroline nodded. "I guess you could say that I like bad boys. I tried dating a good guy at my old school, but it just...wasn't enough for me. The fact that you risked expulsion like that is...oh, I don't know how to describe it."

Niklaus smiled then. "Well then, I could definitely be a bad boy, especially where _you're_ concerned."

Caroline giggled. "I look forward to it."

_**Note: I know, I know, cliffhangers are evil, but I will continue in the next chapter, I promise. I wanted to make this a Klaroline chapter. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Wild Hearts," Caroline finds out why Niklaus got detention.**_

_**Hey, guys! Sorry I haven't updated (the last time being April 23). I wasn't really inspired by anything, hence the hiatus. Anyway, I'm here now, so let's get things started! No spoilers, just keep reading!**_

_Jackson Square – That Same Moment..._

**N**atalia was wandering around, not really paying attention to much of anything except the people that were walking past her. She had walked past the Cafe Du Monde a short while ago and witnessed what was going on between Caroline and Niklaus, smiling as she did. She had a feeling that something would happen, and it turned out that she was right. In fact, Caroline needed some excitement in her life, especially after she ended her relationship with Matt Donovan shortly before the transfer to the Picayune Academy.

She was still thinking about it when she suddenly got the feeling that someone was following her. She looked behind her and didn't see anyone, but the feeling was there just the same. "All right, whoever is following me, I suggest you show yourself."

However, Natalia instantly regretted saying that, because no sooner did she make that demand than Kol appeared, a cocky grin on his face, earning him an eye roll from her.

"Hello, Natalia," he said. "Miss me?"

"Missed you?" she replied. "Why the hell would I miss someone I could stand being in the presence of for more than five seconds without feeling nauseated? Besides, why are you so interested in me? And don't give me that 'I like pretty things with sharp tongues' bullshit because it's not going to work."

"Not very easy to impress, I see," said Kol. "But, that's nothing I can't rectify." He maintained his cocky grin. "I don't see why you're resisting me, because we both know that you find me irresistible and sooner or later, you're going to admit it and let me have my way with you. Your brother can't protect you forever, Natalia."

Before she could respond, Kol grabbed her arms and pulled her to him, kissing her lips passionately. Against her will, Natalia returned it, letting out a slight moan as their tongues danced. After a few minutes, they pulled back and looked at each other, blue eyes meeting brown. Natalia then growled at him and slapped him hard across the face.

"You little asshole! How dare you presume to kiss me!"

Kol rubbed his sore cheek, obviously stunned that she had done that. However, he didn't let that deter him and grabbed her again, kissing her even more passionately than the first time. Natalia growled against his lips and tried to struggle, which she didn't do the first time he had done this, but she found herself unable to fight it anymore, becoming like putty in his hands. After a few minutes, they broke the kiss again and this time, she didn't slap him. Instead, she gave him a small smile, earning her a smile from him.

"See, love?" he said. "I told you that you'd give in sooner or later."

"I'll admit, you are impossible to discourage," said Natalia. "But, how are we going to pursue this without Damon interfering? You know he's not going to like this."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," said Kol. "For now, let's just bask in the moment, shall we?"

_Elsewhere..._

Damon and Elena were exploring the stores that were scattered through the Quarter. A majority of said exploration was spent in silence, mostly because Damon didn't know just what the hell to say to her. That was ironic, considering how he had wanted to be alone with her like this since he saved her from those asshole jocks who harassed her on the quad. Elena noticed how quiet Damon was and decided to find out what was bothering him.

"Are you okay? You barely said a word to me since we got here."

Damon looked at her. "I'd be lying if I said I was, so I won't. Elena, I haven't been able to say anything to you, especially since I don't want to sound like an asshole to you. God knows you already got enough of that the other day."

"You didn't have difficulty talking to me when you came to my rescue on the quad."

"I know, right? And I'm usually not shy around girls," said Damon. "Back home, I would have a new girlfriend every week. Looking at you, I can tell that you want to be treated differently. You want a guy who will spend his every waking moment with you and doing everything in his power to make you happy."

Elena blinked in surprise. "You can tell that by looking at me?"

"Yes," said Damon. "Don't ask how, but I can."

"Okay, I guess I can accept that," said Elena. "But, how is it that you know what I want? _I_ don't even know what I want."

"That's not true," said Damon. "You want what everybody wants. You want a love that consumes you. You want passion and adventure, and maybe even a little danger."

Elena found herself unable to reply to that. _Shit, he's right. I do want all that. Trouble is, I never found anyone who wants that. Could it be that meeting Damon on the quad the other day wasn't an accident? Was it fate that brought us together the way it did?_

"Wow, that's...amazing."

"You could say that," said Damon. "You could also say that maybe I was meant to prevent those jocks from assaulting you. Hell, if I hadn't, chances are you probably wouldn't be standing here with me and letting me talk to you."

There was another silence before he said, "Would it be too forward of me if I kissed you?"

Elena was about to reply when he did just that, pulled her close to him and kissed her softly and passionately. After a second of hesitation, she returned his kiss, moaning and allowing his tongue to dance against hers, opening up the flood gates for a whole bunch of emotions that she herself couldn't quite comprehend. Still, kissing him felt good and she didn't want the moment to end.

_**Note: How's that, huh? I'll include Stefan and Rebekah in the next chapter. Until then, enjoy!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


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